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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

As sacrilegious as it may be, I was never a fan of bbq growing up. I didn't eat meat, so no pulled pork, smoked chicken, or ribs for me. And don't get me started on those horrendous "bbq" flavored potato chips. So it was quite a surprise when I was pregnant with Caroline and my biggest craving was bbq pulled pork. I just couldn't get enough. I fully expected my love of bbq to go away once I had her, but it's almost four years later, and it's still going strong.

When the craving first hit, I was pretty partial to Williamson Bros. (a local bbq place) and Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauces. But as any kitchen fiend would, I eventually decided that I could and should be making my own bbq sauce!

There are countless recipes out there for homemade bbq sauce, but this one is my standby. It's no-cook, and comes together in literally two minutes. Just add all the ingredients and whisk them together. It also keeps really well in the fridge. It's made with things that you probably already have in your pantry, and while it is pretty basic and no-frills, it's just what you want - a little sweet, a tad spicy, a little smokey. The perfect addition to pulled pork or grilled chicken. And it's open to countless variations:

add extra hot sauce or a few chopped chipotle chiles for a spicy sauce

mix in a few tablespoons of peach or raspberry preserves for a fruity version

If you want to make things grown up, stir in a few tablespoons of beer or bourbon

No matter which route you decide to take, this is an easy, no-frills base recipe that is great on it's own. And now what to do with all that sauce? I'll be sharing a super-fun idea tomorrow, but for now, check out these ideas from around the blogosphere:

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comments:

To me, BBQ sauce is delicious, heavenly, and I want to smother everything in it. It's the opposite of mayonnaise (i have a phobia). thank you so much for this recipe; I love all the different BBQ twists you added!

I am looking up liquid smoke right now, b/c i have no idea what that is!

I am so glad you posted this! We're grilling for my son's party and I wanted to have BBQ sauce for anyone that wants it, but I don't want bottles on my elaborately planned table and I want everything in mason jars! Looks like I'll be trying this out this weekend, and judging on your reaction to it, putting it on the table!

Christine, I have no idea. I'm not sure about the ins-and-outs of canning, so I can't recommend it. I will say that it lasts for a long time in the refrigerator. I think I've used it at least a month after making it, with no ill-effects.

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